Electric switch



A. -E. RISHEL.

ELECTRIC SWITCH APPLICATION FILED. NOV. 21. 1918.

1,337,961 Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

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ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPL'I'CATION FILED NOV. 27, 1915.

1,337,961, Patented Apr. 20, 1920,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

flat support.

ARLINGTON EARL RISI'IEL, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Application filed November 27, 1918. Serial No. 264,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARLINGTON EARL RIsHEL, a citizen of the United States, residing atSeattle, in the county of: King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches; and I do declare-the following to be a full, clear, and exact-description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

Thisinvention relates generally to electric switches.

One objectof the invention is to provide an improved longitudinally movable switch bar' and an improved means for mounting the same.

A further object of the-invention is to provide a device of this character which will be: simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, efiicient and reliable in operation, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

lVith these and numerous other objects in view, theinvention consists of certain novel features vof construction, and the combination' and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In theaccompanying drawings forming a part of the application and in which similar reference characters are used to designate like partsthroughout the several views 2- Figure 1 is aside elevation of a device constructed in accordance with this: invention, showing theswitch bar in its first position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof the device;

Fig: 3 is'an end view of the same;

Fig. 4: is a side elevation ofthe device showing the switch bar in its second position;

Figz'5 is a-similar view showing the switch bar in itsth'ird position; and

Fig. 6 isa transverse sectional view taken on the plane-indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.;

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a rectangular base adapted-tobeplaced on a table or other Formed integrally with the base v1 andrising= from: the same midway of its 'width is anupright supporting plate 'orzmember2 having atone end thereof an opening 3xof-asize sufiic'ient to receive the rear end of an ordinary alarm clock etherellllii. The alarmacl'ock 11's provided withthe usual alarm winding key 5, and the shaft 6 of this key is provided with a pinion 7 the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. In the type of clock shown in the drawings, the key 5, and therefore the shaft (5 and pinion 7, are rotated in an anti-clockwise direction for winding the alarm mechanism, and from this it will be seen that when the alarm mechanism is tripped, these parts move in a clockwisev direction. If, however, the alarm clock used is provided with parts which rotate in a direction reverse to that of the clock herein shown and described, then said clock is mounted at the opposite end of the member 2 from that shown.

Revolubly mounted upon suitable studs or pivots 8, fixed to the supporting member 2, is a pair of peripherally grooved contact rollers or wheels 9. These studs 8 are provided with binding posts 10 to which electric conductors 11 are connected. Pivoted intermediate their ends to the member 2 by means of a pair of screws 12 are levers 13. One of the arms of each lever 13 is provided with a combined bearing stud and binding post 141, and a second pair of peripherally grooved contact rollers or wheels 15 is pivotally mounted on these elements 1 1. The other ends of the levers 13 are oflfset laterally and provided with apertures 16 to which the hooked ends of a pair of coiled springs 17 are connected. The other ends of these coiled springs 17 are hooked around or otherwise secured to studs 18 projecting from. the member 2.

Asclearlyshown in Figs, 1 and 1 of the drawings, the axis of each wheel 15 lies in the same vertical plane with that of the corresponding wheel 9, and the axes of the rollers of each pair lie in a horizontal plane parallel with the plane of the other pair. Longitudinally movable between these pairs of wheels is a switch bar 19. No other means ofsupport for the bar 19 is necessary inasmuch as the yieldable mounting of the rollers 15 holds said bar between the latter and the rollers 9 so that the same will not move except in a longitudinal direction.

This bar 19 is preferably composed of a pair of longitudinal strips of insulating or non-conducting material 20 having'disposed between the same and riveted thereto a trio of non-conducting plates 21, 22 and 23 and a pair of conducting plates 241 and 25 arrangedin alternate series, that is, one conducting plate is disposed between the central non-conducting plate 22 and each of the vend non-conducting plates 21 and 23. The

plates 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 are greater in width than are the strips 20 and project be yond the edges of the latter, so that the edges of the bar 19 as a whole, are reduced in thickness to afford an eflicient engagement with the grooved rollers 9 and 15.

Riveted to the strips 20 and disposed between the same is a plate 26, one of the edges of which is formed into a series of teeth to provide a rack 27 for engagement with the aforesaid pinion 7. The numeral 28 designates a guide roller, which is mounted upon the member 2 adjacent the opening 3 and in contact with the edge of the bar 19 opposite to the edge on which is disposed the rack 27. The purpose of this roller will appear hereinafter.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, the bar 19 is shown in its first position and from this it may be seen that the non-conducting plates 22 and 23 are in contact with the rollers 9 and 15 and consequently no current will pass from the line wires 11 through the rollers 9 to the rollers 15 and then through the conductors 29 connected to the binding posts 14. When it is desired to close the circuit through the conductors 11 and 29 automatically, the bar 19 is first moved manually to the left so that the rack 27 becomes disengaged from the pinion 7, and the alarm winding key 5 is turned in an anti-clockwise direction to wind the alarm mechanism of the clock. The bar 19 is then moved so that the rack again engages the pinion 7 and until it is in its first position. WVhen the alarm mechanism is released antomatically at the desired hour, the shaft 6 and pinion 7 will be rotated in a clockwise direction, and the bar 19 will be moved toward the right to its second or circuit-closing position in which the conducting plates 24 and 25 are in contact with the rollers 9 and 15. To limit the movement of the bar 19 to its second position, the bar 19 is provided at its outer end with a pin or stud 30, the latter engaging the laterally bent end 31 of a pivoted arm or lever 32, which acts in the capacity of a stop a stud or abutment 33, on the support 2, coacting with the lever for this purpose in an obvious manner. This. lever 32 is, however, capable of being swung into an ineffective position which is necessary when it is desired that the circuit through the conductors 11 and 29 is to be alternately opened and closed by a single movement of the bar 19.

When this last mentioned result is desired, the lever 32 is swung manually to its ineffective position and the alarm set. When the alarm mechanism is tripped, the bar 19 will, as before, be moved longitudinallytoward the right, until the pinion 7 engages the inner end of the rack 27. The guide 28 prevents the bar 19 from being moved laterally, and consequently the pinion 7 will engage the portion of the plate 26 having no teeth and thereby limit the movement of said bar 19 to its third position, that is, in a position where the non-conducting plates 21 and 22 are engaged by the rollers 9 and 15.

A switch constructed in accordance with this invention will be found very desirable for use in connection with an alarm clock, as shown and described, for automatically breaking the circuit through the lights in show windows of stores, for it is only necessary to turn on the lights and set the alarm of the clock to trip at the desired hour. Many other uses may be allotted to the invention, and it is not necessary to herein enumerate them.

As various changes in form, proportion, and in the minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of this invention, I do not wish to be limited to the construction herein shown and described other than that set forth in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In an electric switch, a support. two pairs of peripherally grooved wheels of conducting material having their axes mounted on said support, a switch-bar comprising two insulating strips, and a series of conducting plates and insulating plates arranged alternately and in alinement between said strips and secured thereto, two opposite edges of said series of plates projecting laterally beyond the corresponding edges of said strips, said bar being seated between said pairs of wheels and having said opposite edges of said series extending into the peripheral grooves of the wheels. the wheels and the alternate plates being arranged and spaced in such mutual relation that when two opposite wheels engage with one of said plates. the other two opposite wheels engage with another plate of similar conductive character, said bar being movable longitudinally to change the wheels from their contact with the conducting plates to their contact with the insulating plates and vice versa, each of said wheels being electrically connectible with a conducting element of an electric circuit.

2. In an electric switch. a support. two pairs of wheels of conducting material pivotally mounted on. said support, a switchbar comprising a series of plates of conducting and insulating materials of equal width arranged and secured alternately and in alinement to form the bar, said bar being seated to move longitudinally between the pairs of wheels, the wheels and alternate plates being arranged and spaced in such mutual relation that when two opposite Wheels engage with one of said alternate plates, the other tWo opposite Wheels engage With another plate of similar electrical character, each of said Wheels being electrically connectible With a conducting element of an electric circuit, a stud on and extending laterally from said bar, a lever pivotally mounted on said support and being r0ta-' table on its pivot into and out of the path of said stud, and an abutment in the path of movement of the lever and being effective to hold the lever against movement along said path in one direction, the relative positions of the lever and Wheels and plates and stud being such that the lever will stop the bar in a closed-switch position, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.-

ABLINGTON EARL RISHEL.

Witnesses Z. B. COMPTON, EDW. L. MoGrELL s. 

